Radio România Internațional

Tag: strike

  • November 20, 2018 UPDATE

    November 20, 2018 UPDATE

    RESHUFFLING The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday signed the government reshuffling order based on the nominations made by the Social Democratic Party in power. Later on Tuesday the new ministers of Education, Defense, Economy, Culture and National Identity, Communication and Information Society and Youth and Sports were sworn in before President Iohannis. But the ministers’ list does not include the proposals for the Ministry for Regional Development and Public Administration and the Transport Ministry, Ilan Laufer and Lia Olguta Vasilescu, respectively. Eight ministries in Viorica Dancila’s Cabinet, including the Defence and Labour, should have been headed by new chiefs. President Iohannis says the current reshuffling is an incomplete solution, and the correct option for Romania would have been to replace the Cabinet as a whole, because the current team has created lots of problems for the country. In turn, the PM explained that the reshuffling was designed to improve the performance of the Government, ahead of Romania’s rotating presidency of the EU Council starting on January 1, 2019. The right-of-centre opposition argues however that the sole criterion in selecting the new ministers was their obedience to the Social Democratic Party president, Liviu Dragnea.





    JUSTICE The European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Věra Jourova had meetings in Bucharest on Tuesday with the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis, and the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader. Talks focused on the priorities in the field of justice, in the context of Romania’s presidency of the EU Council and of the recent developments in the Romanian judiciary. It is important for Romania to take the necessary steps in order to ensure the independence of the judiciary, Vera Jourova said after the meeting with Romania’s Justice Minister. Later on Tuesday the European official gave an address in Bucharest on the Universal Children’s Day, focusing on the situation of children abandoned as a result of regional conflicts or of labour migration, as part of an event organised by the Presidential Administration. 29 years since the signing of the UN Convention on the rights of the child, there are still millions of children around the world who do not go to school, are not protected and cannot live in their home country or town.





    VISIT President Klaus Iohannis received in Bucharest on Tuesday the president of the European Court of Auditors, Klaus-Heiner Lehne, who was on an official visit ahead of Romania taking over the rotating presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. President Iohannis emphasized the importance of the control mechanisms, especially when they contribute to the improvement of public practices with positive effects on economy and the society. In turn, the European official said that cutting red tape and increasing EU funds absorption were essential at the level of both the EU and national parliaments. On Monday, Klaus-Heiner Lehne met with PM Viorica Dăncilă. The talks focused on strengthening the EU mechanisms for the efficient management and spending of European funds. The PM reiterated Bucharest’s willingness to cooperate with the European Court of Auditors in order to improve the absorption rate and for an efficient management of the European funds, particularly in fields of interest for Romania. Also, in the context of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council, Viorica Dăncilă said that at present Romania is fully prepared to take over this mission.





    STRIKE The Bucharest underground trade unions decided on Tuesday to postpone the planned all-out strike until after a meeting with the new Transport Minister, nominated after the government reshuffling. Staff were scheduled to go on indefinite strike on Wednesday, although the Bucharest Court ruled the protest was illegal. The unionists demand a 42% pay raise, although the net average income paid by the state-owned Metrorex company is substantially higher than the national level. The Ministry argues that in fact the trade unions are disgruntled that they would no longer manage the shopping areas in the stations. Some 700,000 passengers a day use the Bucharest underground system.





    RADIRO The MDR, Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, performed on Tuesday evening for the second time as part of the International Festival of Radio Orchestras – RadiRo, organised by Radio Romania. The soloist was the pianist Mihai Ritivoiu. On Monday evening, the German orchestra conducted by Robert Trevino gave a highly appreciated performance. This year’s edition, the 4th of the festival, features 3 ensembles that perform for the first time at the Radio Hall: BBC Philharmonic (UK), Orchestra de la Svizzera Italiana – Lugano (Switzerland) and RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra (Ireland). Also this year, the only festival in the world devoted to radio orchestras will include jazz recitals, for the first time. All the concerts as part of RadiRo are broadcast live by Radio Romania channels, recorded and broadcast subsequently by the Romanian public television, and also aired by stations affiliated to the European Broadcasting Union.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)



  • November 20, 2018

    November 20, 2018

    RESHUFFLING The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis has today announced having signed the government reshuffling order based on the nominations made by the Social Democratic Party in power. The President presented the list of ministers for whom he signed the appointment orders. But the list does not include the proposals for the Ministry for Regional Development and Public Administration and the Transport Ministry, Ilan Laufer and Lia Olguta Vasilescu, respectively. Eight ministries in Viorica Dancilas Cabinet, including the Defence and Labour, should have been headed by new chiefs. President Iohannis says the current reshuffling is an incomplete solution, and the correct option for Romania would have been to replace the Cabinet as a whole, because the current team has created lots of problems for the country. In turn, the PM explained that the reshuffling was designed to improve the performance of the Government, ahead of Romanias rotating presidency of the EU Council starting on January 1, 2019. The right-of-centre opposition argues however that the sole criterion in selecting the new ministers was their obedience to the Social Democratic Party president, Liviu Dragnea.




    JUSTICE The European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Věra Jourova has meetings in Bucharest today with the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis, and the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader. Talks will focus on the priorities in the field of justice, in the context of Romanias presidency of the EU Council and of the recent developments in the Romanian judiciary. The European official will give an address in Bucharest on the Universal Childrens Day, focusing on the situation of children abandoned as a result of regional conflicts or of labour migration, as part of an event organised by the Presidential Administration. 29 years since the signing of the UN Convention on the rights of the child, there are still millions of children around the world who do not go to school, are not protected and cannot live in their home country or town.




    VISIT President Klaus Iohannis receives in Bucharest today the president of the European Court of Auditors, Klaus-Heiner Lehne, who is on an official visit ahead of Romania taking over the rotating presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. On Monday, Klaus-Heiner Lehne met with PM Viorica Dăncilă. The talks focused on strengthening the EU mechanisms for the efficient management and spending of European funds. The PM reiterated Bucharests willingness to cooperate with the European Court of Auditors in order to improve the absorption rate and for an efficient management of the European funds, particularly in fields of interest for Romania. Also, in the context of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council, Viorica Dăncilă said that at present Romania is fully prepared to take over this mission.




    STRIKE The Bucharest underground trade unions decided today to postpone the planned all-out strike until after a meeting with the new Transport Minister, nominated after the government reshuffling. Staff were scheduled to go on indefinite strike on Wednesday, although the Bucharest Court ruled the protest was illegal. The unionists demand a 42% pay raise, although the net average income paid by the state-owned Metrorex company is substantially higher than the national level. The Ministry argues that in fact the trade unions are disgruntled that they would no longer manage the shopping areas in the stations. Some 700,000 passengers a day use the Bucharest underground system.




    RADIRO The MDR, Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, will perform tonight for the second time as part of the International Festival of Radio Orchestras – RadiRo, organised by Radio Romania. The soloist is the pianist Mihai Ritivoiu. Last night, the German orchestra conducted by Robert Trevino gave a highly appreciated performance. This years edition, the 4th of the festival, features 3 ensembles that perform for the first time at the Radio Hall: BBC Philharmonic (UK), Orchestra de la Svizzera Italiana – Lugano (Switzerland) and RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra (Ireland). Also this year, the only festival in the world devoted to radio orchestras will include jazz recitals, for the first time. All the concerts as part of RadiRo are broadcast live by Radio Romania channels, recorded and broadcast subsequently by the Romanian public television, and also aired by stations affiliated to the European Broadcasting Union.




    FOOTBALL Romanias football team is playing today a decisive game against Montenegro, in Podgorica, in Group 4 of the UEFA Nations League C Series. On Saturday, Romania beat Lithuania, 3-0, on home turf in Ploieşti. The League results count as qualifiers for the EURO 2020. Romania ranks 2nd in Group 4, Series C of the Nations League and needs to defeat Montenegro tonight. In the other important match of the day, group leaders Serbia are taking on Lithuania. Should Lithuania avoid a defeat in Belgrade and if Montenegro loses tonights match, Romania will move to the top position in the group.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • November 14, 2018 UPDATE

    November 14, 2018 UPDATE

    GOVERNMENT A joint meeting of the governments of Romania and the Republic of Moldova will be held on November 22nd in Bucharest, the Moldovan PM Pavel Filip announced in Chisinau. He mentioned that one of the topics could be an agreement on discarding mobile roaming fees between the Republic of Moldova and Romania. “It is an important logical step, in the line of other actions that draw us closer to Romania, such as the interconnection of our countries natural gas and electricity systems or the educational and cultural ties. It means nothing else but a stronger relationship between our countries, Pavel Filip said.



    PARLIAMENT A bill declassifying the protocols signed by judicial institutions with intelligence services was passed on Wednesday in the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making parliamentary body in this case. The new regulation allows individuals who think they have been affected by the protocols to request the retrial of their cases. Opposition MPs say they will refer the bill to the Constitutional Court, and argue that the only purpose of the new legislation is to help reverse certain rulings. On the other hand, the ruling coalition says the bill benefits all citizens, who should have access to information in order to defend their rights.



    STRIKE In Romania, negotiations between trade unions and the management of the Bucharest underground company, Metrorex, have failed. Unions announced that the employees would be on a 2-hour token strike on Thursday morning. They demanded a 42% pay raise, but the management only offered 18% under a new collective bargaining agreement. The token strike could be followed by indefinite all-out strike, unions added. In turn, the Transport Minister Lucian Sova said the negotiations had started 8 months before, and the unionists would not accept a smaller pay raise. According to Șova, the salaries of Metrorex staff have been raised on an annual basis for the last 4 years, and the last such increase was by 21% in 2017. As many as 700,000 passengers a day use the Bucharest underground system.



    MOLDOVA The European Parliament Wednesday endorsed a resolution on the implementation of the Association Agreement between the EU and the Republic of Moldova. MEPs criticised the deterioration of the rule of law in that country, the systemic corruption, breach of current commitments, the disregard for the recommendations of the Venice Commission concerning changes in the electoral system and the insufficient investigation of the 2014 banking fraud. A decision regarding the EU macro-financial assistance for Moldova will only be made after the parliamentary elections due in February 2019, and provided that they comply with the relevant international standards. Some Romanian MEPs argued however that the Union should continue to provide financial assistance to Moldova, so as to counter Russias influence.



    GAUDEAMUS The 25th edition of the Gaudeamus International Fair, a landmark of the book market in Romania, an event organised by Radio Romania, opened on Wednesday. Gaudeamus 2018 will unfold under the auspices of a triple anniversary: the Great Union Centennial, 9 decades since the first broadcast aired by Radio Romania, one of the oldest radio stations in Europe, and the 25th edition of the Gaudeamus Book Fair.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • October 27, 2018 UPDATE

    October 27, 2018 UPDATE

    AIR FORCES – The joint training and common missions carried out by the Canadian military dispatched in the area and the Romanian military are unfolding exceptionally well, the head of the Canadian Royal Air Force, general lieutenant Alexander Donald Meinzinger, said on Saturday, soon after he visited the Mihail Kogălniceanu airbase in south-eastern Romania. He met with the head of the Romanian Air Force, general Viorel Pană and with the Canadian unit dispatched at Mihail Kogălniceanu. The 135 strong unit (pilots and technical staff) is carrying out NATO air policing missions, alongside members of the Romanian Air Force. These missions are aimed at developing response and deterrence capabilities, sources with the Romanian Defence Ministry say.



    COLECTIV – A show inspired by the drama around the fire-ravaged Colectiv nightclub in 2015 is staged on Saturday and Sunday at the National Dance Centre in Bucharest. Titled “153 seconds, the show starts with the story of a survivor. The project has been coordinated by director Ioana Păun, who has collected testimonies made by the victims and opinions expressed by sociologists and psychologists and then staged a show on resignation and the possibility of making a change. The title “153 seconds comes from the duration of the fire which ripped through Colectiv, taking the lives of 65 people. On Tuesday, October 30, its three years since the tragedy struck the Bucharest-based club. We recall it was followed by massive protests which deplored corruption at the level of the central and local administration and led to the resignation of the Ponta-led cabinet.



    EUROPEAN FUNDS – Since joining the EU, back in 2007, Romania has had at its disposal European funds worth over 45 billion Euros to develop the country, says the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Creţu. According to her, the cohesion policy is meant to improve the living standards of the European citizens, and the results are visible in Romania, too. Corina Creţu will pay an official visit to Bucharest next week, when she is due to meet Romanian high ranking officials and to have talks on the future of the European cohesion policy.



    POLL – 84% of the Romanians declare themselves patriots with a large number of them saying the disrespect for the national insignia, such as the coat of arms, the flag and the anthem should be punished by imprisonment or administrative fines. The results of the poll conducted by the CURS Polling Institute show 75% of the Romanians say they know personalities and institutions that had a major contribution to the setting up of Greater Romania. Some of the personalities which are mentioned most often include King Ferdinand, the Bratianu family and Marshall Averescu. We recall that this year Bucharest celebrates 100 years since the Great Union of December 1, 1918.



    SWINE FEVER – A case of African swine fever was confirmed on Saturday in a household in Vrancea county, eastern Romania, the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority has announced. The area has been isolated, disinfection measures have been taken and the line authorities have set up checking points on the main roads. Over 1,000 African swine fever outbreaks have been confirmed in 15 counties in Romania so far, and no less than 350,000 pigs have been culled. Romania has requested support from the EU to offer damages to the affected farmers.



    SUBWAY – The Metrorex trade unionists in Bucharest on Monday will resume negotiations with the management, on the new Collective Labour Agreement which expired on Saturday, October 27. Fridays talks failed to produce results. The unionists are mainly demanding pay rises and better working conditions. They warn to go on an all out strike as from November 10. The Metrorex Management claims a 42% pay rise, as demanded by the unionists, exceeds the limits of the companys budget.



    SPORTS – Romanian tennis player Marius Copil (no.93 ATP) on Saturday qualified to the finals of the Basel tennis tournament after winning a surprising victory in the semi-finals against the German Alexander Zverev, second seeded and no.5 ATP, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4. This is the second ATP final in the Romanian players career, after that played in Sofia, earlier this year. Copil will face in the final on Sunday the winner of the match played by first-seeded Roger Federer of Switzerland and seven seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia.

  • October 26, 2018

    October 26, 2018

    JUDICIARY – Hundreds protested in Bucharest and Cluj against the move by the Justice Minister to revoke Prosecutor General Augustin Lazar. The report submitted by the minister includes 20 charges, similar to the report last summer that resulted in the dismissal of head anti-corruption prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi. President Klaus Iohannis, the right of center opposition, as well as many magistrates, are against the move. The EC said it would evaluate all the recent developments in Romania as part of their next report under the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification, due on November 13.



    HARVEST — Romania is expected this year to harvest between 14.5 and 15 tons of maize, compared to 11.8 tons expected to be harvested by France, which would make Romania the biggest corn producer in Europe, according to the association of corn producers in France, quoted by the daily Le Monde. Romanian Minister of Agriculture Petre Daea confirmed the news, saying that Romania would once again be the top maize producer in the EU, due to its propitious climate and soil. In 2017, Romania reported a grain harvest of almost 27 million tons, 1.4 tons per capita, with record harvests for wheat, barley, green peas, sunflower, soy, maize, potatoes, and grapes.



    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Marius Copil, 93rd seeded in the ATP, plays against 57th seeded Taylor Fritz of the US in the finals of the Swiss tournament in Basel, with almost 2 million dollars prize money at stake. In the eighth finals, Copil won his most important victory, that against Croat Marin Cilic, ranked sixth in the world. That was the first victory won by the Romanian athlete against a top 10 adversary.



    SPORTS — Romanian military athletes won in Sydney, Australia, two gold medals and one silver medal in various events in archery, as well as two bronze medals in indoor rowing and archery. The competition was the Invictus games, for veterans wounded in action. Romanian vets came in fourth twice in the 1,500 meter track event. 15 soldiers represent Romania at the games, their second showing in the Invictus event, after the 2017 games in Toronto, where 15 wounded soldiers took part in six individual events. They managed to get four medals, one gold in the team archery event, one silver in the individual archery event, in rowing, and in the 1,500 meter track event. The competition, dubbed the wounded soldier Olympics, was initiated by Prince Harry of the UK.



    LABOR — In Romania, the head of the labor union representing metro train workers, Ion Radoi, said that the collective labor contract for his members expires on October 27. This announcement was made in order for him to announce that a general strike will be declared in mid-November if labor negotiations fail. According to the labor leader, one of the demands made by employees was a 42% rise in wages. Radoi spoke of the gap between earnings for metro employees in Bucharest and in Brussels. Gross wages for Romanian workers are around 700 Euro right now, as opposed to earnings by their counterparts in Brussels, who make around seven times more. He also said that the metro system is understaffed, with 4,560 employees, as opposed to the 5,000 that he said was the minimum figure.



    OSLO — NATO continues large scale military maneuvers in Norway, simulating defense against an invasion of an allied country. The Trident Juncture exercise is attended by 50,000 troops from 31 allied and partner countries, with 250 aircraft, 65 warships, and 10,000 vehicles. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance has informed Russia of the deployment early this year. The Russian embassy in Norway said that this was an anti-Russian provocation. Analysts say that Trident Juncture is NATOs way to show solidarity to Russia, after statements made by President Vladimir Putin, who warned European countries that they risk being attacked by Russia if they accept to host American medium range missiles.



    EUROSTAT — The European statistics authority Eurostat published a report according to which the life expectancy of a newborn in the EU in 2016 was 81, while the lowest figure was registered in Romania, ranging between 74.4 and 74.6 years of age. Among member states, Spain had the highest life expectancy, 83.4, followed by Italy, France, Luxembourg, Cyprus, and Malta.

  • August 8, 2018 UPDATE

    August 8, 2018 UPDATE

    STRIKE – The employees of structures subordinated to the Romanian Ministry for Youth and Sports and national sports federations are on all-out strike as of Wednesday, after having picketed the Ministry for several days without receiving any response to their salary demands. They argue that they are unable to survive and even less so to support sports performances on monthly net salaries of around 290 euros. On the other side, Andrei Nourescu, adviser to the Youth and Sports Minister, says the Ministry has submitted repeated requests to the Labour Ministry, but that a pay raise in this sector is a long-term process, which might begin on January 1 with a 25% increase.




    CINEMA – The village of Sfântul Gheorghe, in the Danube Delta, south-eastern Romania, Wednesday hosted further screenings as part of the “Anonimul International Independent Film Festival, including “The Secret of Happiness, directed by Vlad Zamfirescu. Taking part in the official competition are 6 Romanian and international feature films and 26 short films. Productions awarded in other festivals this year are also shown, while Q&A sessions and roundtables are organised on the sidelines of the festival. The Kazakh director Emir Baigazin will be the recipient of this years “Anonimul Trophy, for his contribution to the art of cinema.




    FOOTBALL – Three Romanian sides are playing on Thursday away from home, in the first leg of the 3rd preliminary round of Europa League. Romanian vice-champions FCSB (formerly known as Steaua Bucuresti), take on Croatias Hajduk Split. Kicked out from the Champions League in the 2nd preliminary round, Romanian champions CFR Cluj are facing the Armenian side Alashkert, while the winners of Romanias Cup CSU Craiova are playing against RB Leipzig of Germany. The second leg is scheduled next week.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • May 7, 2018

    May 7, 2018

    STRIKE — A two-hour token strike was staged in hospitals across Romania in the morning. Nurses, the supporting staff and the personnel working in labs ceased to work, taking care only of emergencies. The protesters are discontent about the 30% cap on bonuses and say some healthcare employees saw some 215 Euros slashed off their salaries after the new pay scheme was enforced. They also point to the fact that some categories of personnel are discriminated against: for instance doctors and nurses benefited from pay rises, which is not the case for nurses, stretcher bearers, biologists, pharmacists, radiologists and midwives. The SANITAS Federation has announced it has collected over 50,000 signatures, thus meeting the conditions to call an all out strike on May 11. Over the past few days, representatives of trade unions have held talks with labour, health and finance ministers, without however reaching an agreement. The current state of the healthcare system is making the object of a simple motion, which is being debated today by the Chamber of Deputies and which has been tabled by the right-of –centre National Liberal Party, in opposition, against the health minister, Social Democrat, Sorina Pintea. The motion will be voted upon in a plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday.



    RUSSIA — Vladimir Putin has today been sworn in as Russia’s president, for the fourth time, after winning with over 75% of the votes the presidential elections held in March. His presidency was interrupted, after the first two mandates, by a four-year term in office as prime minister, when the country’s president was the incumbent prime minister, Dmitri Medvedev. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Moscow, in the following days Putin will make public the membership of the new government and of the Presidential Administration, which is a more influential structure than the government. The Russian media estimate the foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and the defence minister Sergei Shoigu will keep their portfolios, which would be a sign that Russia’s current foreign policy will be continued. Also, overcoming the country’s isolation by the West would be necessary to Vladimir Putin in order to reach his daring internal objectives, which are the priorities of his new mandate. At a political level, the main task of the Kremlin leader will be to ensure an uninterrupted transition of power in 2024, when, under the Constitution, Putin will no longer be allowed to run for a new presidential mandate. The swearing in ceremony was preceded on Saturday by protests and the taking into custody of some 1,600 people, among whom the opposition leader, Alexei Navalny.



    PRESIDENCY OF THE EU COUNCIL — Romania’s mandate at the helm of the EU Council will not be an easy one, being marked by two key moments, namely Great Britain’s officially leaving the community bloc and establishing the EU budget for the 2020 — 2024 financial exercise. The statement has been made in Bucharest earlier today by the president of the Romanian Banks’ Association, Sergiu Oprescu, who attended the second edition of the Financial Market Forum. He has also added that holding the EU Council presidency is first of all an exercise of responsibility, a challenge and equally an opportunity to show a balanced discourse and a clear vision. Romania will hold the rotating presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. We recall that the Romanian president, Klaus Iohannis, held talks last week in Ruse with his Bulgarian and Austrian counterparts on assuring the continuity of the Bulgarian, Austrian and Romanian presidencies of the EU Council and on regional cooperation opportunities.



    ARREST — A man of Serbian nationality, who was on an international APB was taken into custody by the border police officers at the Galati-Port Border Crossing in south-eastern Romania. An Interpol warrant had been issued on the man’s name, as he was being investigated for genocide, during September-December 1991.



    THEATRE — The Alba Carolina Citadel in Alba Iulia, a fortress built in the early 18th century in south-western Transylvania will host the feast of Romanian theatre in the evening: the Award Winning Gala of the Union of Theatres in Romania, UNITER, which has reached its 26th edition. The gala is held this year under the motto “The UNITER Gala Unites Theatre!”. Some 300 actors and actresses as well as people close to theatre and UNITER are expected to attend the ceremony, in a transparent pavilion, mounted on the esplanade near the Orthodox Cathedral and the Roman-Catholic Church. 11 prizes will be awarded for best productions and best people on the theatrical scene in Romania in 2017.



    VOLLEYBALL — The Romanian volleyball team CSM Volei Alba Blaj in the centre on Sunday was defeated in Bucharest by the Turkish team VakifBank Istanbul, 3-0, in the final round of the Final Four women’s volleyball tournament. Although it lost to the Turkish team, CSM Volei Alba Blaj managed to put up a special performance, being the first Romanian team to qualify for the final act of the competition. In the bronze final, the Italians of Imoco Conegliano outperformed Galatasaray Istanbul, 3-0.



    TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no.1 WTA is today pairing up with another Romanian, Irina Begu, against the pair Nicole Melichar (the US)/Kveta Peschke (the Czech Republic) in the first round of the Madrid tennis tournament with some 6.7 million Euros in prize money up for grabs. Mihaela Buzărnescu is pairing up with France’s Alize Cornet and are playing against Andreja Klepac (Slovenia)/María Jose Martinez Sanchez (Spain), whereas Sorana Cîrstea alongside Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo will be facing Julia Goerges (Germany)/ Karolina Pliskova (the Czech Republic). In the singles, at the weekend, Simona Halep, Sorana Cîrstea and Irina Begu qualified for the second round.

  • April 26, 2018 UPDATE

    April 26, 2018 UPDATE

    ISRAEL – While on an official visit to Israel, a Romanian delegation made up of PM Viorica Dăncilă, Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu, and the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Liviu Dragnea, was received on Thursday by President Reuven Rivlin. The Romanian officials said that strengthening cooperation with Israel was a priority, particularly considering the 70-year long tradition of diplomatic relations. The agenda of talks also included the appointment of a Romanian ambassador to Israel, given that the post has been vacant for almost one and a half years, the relocation of the Romanian Embassy to Jerusalem and regional topics like the situation in Syria and the Iranian nuclear file. On Wednesday, PM Viorica Dăncilă and her counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the excellent level of bilateral relations. The Romanian prime minister voiced her satisfaction with the interest shown by the Israeli side in a proposed partnership that would generate joint projects in the field of new technologies. The participants also discussed means of cooperation in the military, strategic and cyber security fields. Also on Wednesday, the Romanian Prime Minister visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Centre, and had a meeting with the leader of the left-wing Opposition in the Israeli Parliament, Isaac Herzog.





    JUDICIARY – The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis Thursday referred a regulation on the organisation of the Official Journal to the Constitutional Court. The President argues that the public company that runs the Official Journal of Romania cannot be subordinated to the Chamber of Deputies as long as the law stipulates no powers for the Chamber in this respect. Meanwhile, also on Thursday the High Court of Cassation and Justice decided to refer to the Constitutional Court a bill on alternatives to imprisonment, under which sentences below 5 years in prison may be switched to house arrest or to weekend detention in special centres. The Chamber of Deputies endorsed this bill on Wednesday.




    PROTESTS – Deputy PM Viorel Ştefan Thursday promised the Romanian trade unions in the public healthcare sector that on May 2 he would come up with a solution to address the income losses in the sector. The unionists, who staged a rally in Bucharest on Thursday, announced they would not give up their protests. Several categories of healthcare staff claim their net wages have dropped since the implementation of the new tax and salary regulations, and they demand the scrapping of the current 30% cap on bonuses. The rally in Bucharest will be followed by a token strike on May 7, while May 11 is the announced start date of an all-out strike in the healthcare and social assistance sector.




    EPP – Ludovic Orban, president of the National Liberal Party, in opposition in Romania, announced that the European Peoples Party (EPP), the political family to which his party is also affiliated, will have a common candidate for president of the European Commission. Orban discussed the topic in Brussels with the EPP president, Joseph Daul. The candidate, Orban added, will be elected in the EPP congress due in November in Helsinki. Orban also said that he had discussed with the EPP leaders the details of a common strategy to ensure job stability at European level, a strategy that also targets the Romanians who will work in the UK after Brexit.





    TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no 1 in the world, will take on CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) in Fridays quarter-finals of the WTA tournament in Stuttgart, which has 816,000 US dollars in total prize money. Halep previously defeated the Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova (18 WTA) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. In last years edition of the Stuttgart tournament, Halep was defeated in the semi-finals.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • April 10, 2018

    April 10, 2018

    AIR TRAFFIC — Air traffic was severely disrupted on Tuesday due to strikes staged by the German flight operator Lufthansa and the national French airliner Air France. Hundreds of flights were cancelled. Lufthansa said most of its cancelled flights are short-distance flights, but as many as 58 long-distance flights were also cancelled. Other protests of public sector employees in Germany and France were staged on Tuesday.



    AWARD — Romanian writer Mircea Cartarescu scooped the 2018 International Formentor Award in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in recognition of his literary work. The jury appreciated Cartarescu’s narrative capacity and his vast knowledge of universal culture. The Romanian writer will receive 50,000 euros. Cartarescu said 40 years ago he never imagined his writings would earn veneration and consideration from so many Spanish readers, and thanked his translator and his publishing house. Aged 61, Mircea Cartarescu has written over 30 works that have been translated in 23 languages.



    DEFICIT — In the first two months of 2018 Romania’s exports stood at €10.9 billion, while its imports stood at €12.5 billion, the National Institute of Statistics reports. According to the Institute, the trade balance deficit in the first two months of the year was €1.65 billion, by €400 million more than the same period of 2017.



    BRODER CROSSING POINTS — Romanians living abroad who spent Easter at home are returning to the countries they work in, and Romania’s western border crossing points are starting to get crowded. To avoid overcrowding, the Romanian Border Police has brought in more people. Drivers heading to these borders can use an online app to see the average waiting time for each border crossing point, so they can choose the least crowded checkpoint.



    DISCHARGE — Yulia Skripal, daughter of the former Russian spy Sergey Srkipal, who was targeted in Salisbury by a nerve agent attack, was discharged from hospital. Aged 33, the woman was taken to a safe location. Her father remains hospitalized, and doctors say his condition is improving fast. On March 4, the two were found unconscious in Salisbury, some 100 kilometers from London. The UK blames Russia for this military-grade nerve-agent attack, while Moscow has denied the accusations. The case has stirred a wave of unprecedented mutual expulsions between Russia and Western countries, involving as many as 300 diplomats.



    UBER — The European Union Court of Justice on Tuesday ruled that Member States may prohibit and punish, as a matter of criminal law, the illegal exercise of transport activities in the context of the UberPOP service, without notifying the Commission in advance of the draft legislation, France Press and Reuters report. The case concerned Uber’s use of unlicensed drivers as part of its UberPOP service in France, which has since been suspended there and in several other cities, and therefore will not affect Uber’s operations in the country. Tuesday’s ruling follows the December 2017 ruling of the court, when the EUCJ classified Uber as an ordinary transportation company instead of an app and should be regulated as such. Uber was founded in 2009 in the United States, and has been operating in Romania since February 2015, first in Bucharest and gradually expanding to Cluj, Brasov and Timisoara. There are over 450,000 registered Uber users in Romania, mostly in Bucharest. Romania is Uber’s second-largest market in Central and Eastern Europe after Poland.



    MOTION — The Senate today debates a simple motion against European Funds Minister Rovana Plumb, filed by MPs with the National Liberal Party and the People’s Movement Party in opposition. The signatories of the motion warn that the situation of sectoral operational programs is extremely serious, from the prospect of the very low amount of the refunds the European Commission is giving Romania at present. The rate of absorption for the 2014-2020 period was 10% at the end of 2017. The opposition claims Romania has a good chance of developing and truly becoming a European nation, with a living standard equal to other states in Western Europe. This chance is given only by European funds, which can help improve Romanians’ quality of life.



    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • April 7, 2018 UPDATE

    April 7, 2018 UPDATE

    HOLY FIRE — Thousands of Orthodox believers gathered on Saturday in Jerusalem for the Holy Fire ceremony that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. In a ritual dating back at least 1,200 years, they crowded into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Holy Fire appeared in the Edicule, the small chapel built over the burial place of Christ at about 2:20 PM, just a few minutes after the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, entered there to pray and wait. After the fire’s descent the Patriarch passed the holy gift to the faithful. The Holy Fire is the most important celebration in the Orthodox faith in Jerusalem. A delegation of the Romanian Patriarchy, headed by Bishop Timotei of Prahova, is in Jerusalem and will bring the Holy Fire to be distributed to every church across Romania.




    SECURITY MEASURES – Over 50,000 employees of the Romanian Interior Ministry have been mobilised to maintain public order, safety and security across the country during Easter. Gendarme and police troops will be chiefly deployed around churches and other religious institutions. 250 thousand people are expected to attend more than 700 public events that will take place in Romania in the next four days. Traffic police, equipped with more than 300 traffic radars and backed by helicopters, will be monitoring traffic on Romania’s motorways during the Easter days.




    HOLIDAY – Many Romanians have chosen to spend Easter away from home this year but in regions in the country where Easter traditions are still observed. Over 90% of the hotels and guest houses on the Prahova Valley are booked. Tourists are mostly interested in the resorts of Sinaia and Azuga, as winter sports can still be practices there. Bukovina is another region highly appreciated by tourists, especially the villages that are close to monasteries such as Sucevita, Gura Humorului and Putna. Tourists appreciate guesthouses in Bukovina because Easter traditions have been preserved unaltered there and also for the hosts’ hospitality.




    POISONING – Russian Ambassador in London, Aleksandr Yakovenko, has requested a meeting with British Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, to discuss the attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal. Relations between London and Moscow have plumbed new lows in recent weeks following the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia on March 4 in Salisbury, south-western England. Britain and its Western allies have blamed the attack on Moscow, accusing it of targeting the pair with a Soviet-made military-grade nerve agent. Russia has vehemently denied any involvement in the case. The crisis has led to the biggest wave of tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats in recent memory.




    STRIKE — Air France announced on Saturday the cancellation of hundreds of flights as pilots, cabin crews and ground staff pursued a fifth day of strike aimed at securing higher salaries. Air France estimates that 34% of pilots, 26% of the cabin crews and 19% of the ground staff were on strike on Saturday. Unions say workers deserve to benefit from years of belt-tightening that have brought the carrier back to operating profitability, after seeing their wages effectively frozen since 2011. Unionists want a 6% pay raise and have already warned of more strikes to come.




    ROMA DAY — Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Saturday conveyed a message on the occasion of the International Roma Day. Iohannis said “it’s important to understand the traditions, values, aspirations and needs of the Roma community, in order to find solutions that should have a concrete contribution to the Roma minority members’ social inclusion, while continuing to preserve their cultural identity”. Iohannis also said that this year, when the 1918 Great Union centennial is celebrated, the contribution of the Roma to our society’s history and diversity must be emphasised. Celebrated every year on April 8th, the International Roma Day is aimed at promoting the community’s cultural values and at signalling the problems facing it.




    DAVIS CUP — Romania’s Davis Cup team leads Morocco 2-0 after the first matches held on Saturday in Cluj, northwestern Romania, in the second round of Europe/Africa Zone Group II. Marius Copil defeated Amine Ahouda in straight sets 6-0, 6-1 while Adrian Ungur beat Lamine Ouahab, 6-0, 7-6. On Sunday in the men’s doubles Marius Copil and Florin Mergea will be up against Amine Ahouda/ Lamine Ouahab.




    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan, WTA’s 90th seed, has qualified to the semi-finals of the WTA tournament in Monterrey, Mexico, after defeating American Danielle Collins, no. 53 in the world, in two sets, 6-2, 6-4. Ana Bogdan will next be up against the competition’s favourite, Garbine Muguruza, no. 3 in the world. (Translated by Elena Enache)

  • April 3, 2018

    April 3, 2018

    GENDARMERIE — A special military ceremony has been held today in the capital Bucharest, marking the anniversary of 168 years since the establishment of the Romanian Gendarmerie. Many cities in the country have been hosting events devoted to this anniversary, with activities for both kids and adults. In Bucharest people were invited to participate in the Gendarmerie Race taking place on a distance of 5 kilometres.



    US EMBASSY – The US Embassy in Romania jointly with the American Councils for International Education have extended an invitation to organisations, associations and the public at large to join a project titled 4/4ForFriends. Inspired by the words of the outstanding US activist Martin Luther King Jr., who said that “Lifes most persistent and urgent question is ‘What are you doing for others?”, the organisers want to dedicate the day of April 4, 2018 to the community and to good deeds. The project celebrates, at national level, the values of volunteering and friendship, through which people join forces to change something for the better around them, no matter where they are. The organisers invite us all to stop for a while from our daily routine and do something else, for instance do volunteer work in our community and donate time to a noble cause.



    MOLDOVA — As many as four parties would make it to Parliament in Chisinau, if early elections were called, according to the results of a poll presented by the Moldovan Association of Sociologists and Demographers. These are President Igor Dodon’s pro-Russian Party of Socialists, the pro-European Action and Solidarity Party, the ruling Democratic Party and the pro-European Dignity and Truth Platform. The poll shows that the pro-Moscow president Igor Dodon enjoys the trust of 50% of the people interviewed, followed by the leader of the Action and Solidarity Party, Maia Sandu and the former communist President Vladimir Voronin. More than half of respondents do not trust any politician.




    MOTION — The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest is today discussing the simple motion tabled by the National Liberal Party, in the opposition, against Culture Minister George Ivascu. The Liberals have denounced the negligence in preparing the events dedicated to the anniversary of 100 years since the Great Union and have voiced concern over what they see as the Government’s inability to ensure the smooth running of the celebration of the Union. The Liberals say that a public debate is needed in order to put together a national plan for the celebration of the centennial. The Save Romania Union and the People’s Movement Party are also supporting the motion. The vote has been scheduled for Wednesday.




    MEETING — Romania’s right-of-centre president Klaus Iohannis is today meeting with the Social Democrat PM Viorica Dancila and the Labour Minister Olguta Vasilescu to discuss the effects of the enforcement, as of this year, of a new legislation regarding the salary system for public employees. After the meeting, PM Dancila will go to Parliament to attend “The PM’s Hour” held at the initiative of the National Liberal Party, in the opposition. The Liberals’ questions will be about EU funds absorption and investment projects in infrastructure, transport and the healthcare system.




    STRIKE — The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest has announced that Romanian citizens who plan to travel to France should know that the railway transport in this country has been affected by a strike. The strike is held in protest at a reform of this sector planned by the country’s president Emmanuel Macron. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry release, only one high-speed train out of eight and one regional train out of five are operational. Also, three of four Eurostar trains connecting France to the UK are operational. Rail traffic is almost normal in the case of Thalys trains to Belgium but there are no trains connecting France to Spain, Switzerland and Italy. Air France is also on strike, with the personnel asking for bigger salaries. (Translated by Elena Enache)

  • March 12, 2018 UPDATE

    March 12, 2018 UPDATE

    HEALTHCARE – The Romanian Healthcare Minister, Sorina Pintea, said on Monday there are no reasons for a strike, given that incomes in the public healthcare sector did not drop. The statement comes after trade unions in the sector announced a protest going as far as to an all-out strike. Healthcare employees are unhappy with the new pay scheme and ask for a 25% increase in basic salaries concurrently with the scrapping of the 30% ceiling on bonuses. In other news, Healthcare Minister Sorina Pintea announced that within 2 weeks Romania would receive 10,000 doses of immunoglobulin, with further doses expected from Italy and the USA. Bucharest has recently asked for aid from EU and NATO countries to solve the immunoglobulin crisis triggered by last years withdrawal from the Romanian market of the producers that had covered over 80% of the demand. Romania needs 956 kilos of immunoglobulin per year.





    PENITENTIARY – The number of prisoners in Romanian penitentiaries is around 22,900, while the system employs some 12,800 special civil servants, the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader told a press conference on Monday. He added that the number of prisoners is decreasing, and so is the number of repeat offenders. However, Bucharest should not wait for the issue of penitentiary overcrowding to get solved through a natural decrease in the number of people sentenced to prison. According to Tudorel Toader, Romania will build 2 new, modern penitentiaries with a capacity of 1,000 prisoners each, and an initial and continuing training centre for penitentiary staff will be set up in Bucharest.




    DIPLOMACY – The 3-party meeting organised in Bucharest on Monday and bringing together the foreign ministers of Romania, Bulgaria and Greece, was an opportunity to reaffirm commitment to strengthening the European project, the Romanian FM Teodor Melescanu said. According to the Romanian official, talks have focused on relevant topics, such as the Western Balkans, the Eastern Neighbourhood, the Black Sea region, the Danube region and the Middle East. In turn, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister, Ekaterina Zakharieva, has expressed hopes for Romanias and Bulgarias Schengen accession, a goal supported by Greece, according to its Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias. On the other hand, Minister Teodor Melescanu has announced a 4-party meeting in the forthcoming period, with government officials from Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and Serbia taking part. Also this year, a joint Romanian-Bulgarian government meeting will be held, to discuss primarily the interconnection options for the 2 countries.




    DEFENCE – The defence ministers of the Bucharest 9 member countries convened in the Romanian capital city on Monday. For 3 days, officials from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, as well as NATO representatives and US State Department officials will be talking about boosting NATOs defence and deterrence posture, particularly on the eastern flank. Other topics include the adjustment of NATOs command structure, the risks and threats coming from the Alliances eastern neighbourhood as well as means to strengthen resilience on the Baltic Sea – Black Sea axis. Romania offered to host a new NATO command centre, but a decision will be made at the Alliances summit due in July in Brussels.





    EXERCISE – Nearly 900 Romanian and foreign troops are taking part between March 12 and 23, in DACIAN LANCER 18, a multinational military exercise held in Brasov County, central Romania. The exercise is designed to help assess the Multinational Division Southeast Headquarters in Bucharest. An element of the NATO Force Command structure, the headquarters in Bucharest is a high-readiness command activated in December 2015, and is staffed by military personnel from Romania and 15 other NATO member countries.





    MOLDOVA – The 2 largest cities in the Republic of Moldova, the capital Chisinau and the northern city of Balti, will be having early local elections on May 20, under a resolution made by the Central Electoral Commission on Monday. This is seen as a test for this autumns parliamentary election. The mayors of Chisinau and Balti resigned in February. The pro-Russian populist mayor of Balti, Renato Usatyi, has been in Russia for more than a year, and is currently prosecuted in a case involving the murder of a businessman. In Chisinau, the Liberal, pro-Western mayor Dorin Chirtoaca is in turn subject to corruption accusations in a criminal investigation, and was suspended from office in the summer of 2017.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • November 4, 2017 UPDATE

    November 4, 2017 UPDATE

    UNIONS – The “Solidaritatea Sanitara union federation announces its opposition to the Governments plan to transfer the payment of social security contributions from employers to employees, and says it will join the all-out strike planned by the countrys main union confederations. Previously, trade union federations Frăţia, Cartel Alfa and the National Union Bloc had voiced fears that this transfer would entail a drop in salaries and the loss of jobs. In turn, employer associations say that should this measure be implemented, they will have to lay off employees, while the National Liberal Party in opposition announced it would notify the Constitutional Court unless the Government gave up these plans. President Klaus Iohannis described the Governments initiative as fiscal confusion through which average gross salaries would only go up by a rough 70 eurocents. In response, PM Mihai Tudose and his Social Democratic Party chief, Liviu Dragnea, say they do not understand the opposition to the measures announced for next year, given that in fact both employers and employees would stand to gain. The Cabinet postponed to Monday the meeting in which the new provisions were to be discussed, on grounds that some of the bills on the agenda had not received all the required approvals.




    BY-ELECTIONS – The town of Deva, in western Romania, as well as 16 villages in 12 counties hold by-elections on Sunday. 16 localities elect their mayors, and a village will elect its local council. In Deva, the mayor position has been vacant since the former mayor, Mircia Muntean, re-elected to office last summer, was sentenced to six months in prison for abuse of office and DUI.




    HEALTHCARE – The Romanian healthcare and tourism ministries will work together to come up with medical tourism packages. The announcement was made by the Healthcare Minister Florian Bodog at a medical tourism conference in Bucharest. The healthcare services in the highest demand from foreign patients in Romania are dental treatments, spa treatments, and plastic surgery, Bodog explained. He added that the Government is working to adopt the public-private partnership bill, which will allow foreign partners to invest in Romania, including in the healthcare sector. The Romanian official added that he had already received offers from foreign investors interested in setting up hospitals and cardiovascular surgery and recovery centres.




    CAMPAIGN – MEP Cătălin Ivan has announced he intends to start a signature campaign to ban bearer shares in Romania. Such shares, which are not registered, may be transferred from one holder to another without tax and accounting records. Ivan argues that this enables civil servants to own stock in companies that are awarded public procurement or service contracts, without any means of combating corruption. According to official data there are around 400 companies in Romania having issued bearer shares, and most of them have been awarded government contracts worth hundreds of millions of euros. Bearer shares have already been banned in countries like the UK, Belgium, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Malta and Cyprus.




    PUIGDEMONT – Belgian authorities announced having received the international arrest warrant issued by Spain against the ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and 4 members of his secessionist cabinet. The source added that prosecutors would study the documents before submitting them to a judge. The five Catalan ministers arrived in Brussels this week, after Spain issued an arrest warrant for sedition. Puigdemont insists that he is not in Belgium to escape justice, and that he is facing a potential 30-year prison sentence for keeping his promise to his voters. A Spanish court approved the arrest after the five failed to appear in court on Thursday to respond to accusations regarding the Catalan independence declaration. Before the arrest warrants were issued, the European Commission said the trial of the Catalan separatists was for the judiciary to settle.




    HANDBALL – The Romanian womens handball team CSM Bucharest beat the Danish side Nykobing at home, 39-26, in the 4th round of Champions League Group A, making up for the surprising defeat they had sustained two weeks ago, in Denmark, 22-25. In the first 2 games in Group A, the Romanians defeated Krim Ljubljana of Slovenia and Vistal Gdynia of Poland, and are now qualified into the main group stage. Romanias target in the current competition season is to reach the Champions League Final Four.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • The Week in Review, October 30 – November 5

    The Week in Review, October 30 – November 5

    Controversy over the salary system in Romania


    Two government projects due to be implemented next year have generated vehement reactions in Romania. The projects in question are the new salary scheme for public sector employees and the changes to the fiscal code. President Klaus Iohannis says the fiscal measures announced by the government such as transferring the payment of social security contributions to employees and a cut on income tax, will complicate problems instead of solving them. He has asked the ruling coalition to show responsibility and drop these fiscal policies, which, he says, will generate mistrust. The president says that while the country is seeing a period of economic growth, this growth is based on consumption, and has warned that public and private investments have dropped significantly compared to the same period last year. Trade unions have also criticised the governments plans. The most vocal of critics, the leader of the Cartel Alfa trade union confederation, Bogdan Hossu, has warned that the plans to amend the fiscal code is flawed and may lead to lower incomes for 2 million employees. CNSRL Fratia has said it will start gathering signatures among its members for a general strike, while the National Union Bloc warns there is no certainty that net salaries will remain the same as long as there is no obligation for employers to increase gross salaries to make up for the amount of social security contributions to be paid by employees under the new government plan. Employer associations have shied away from entering the open conflict between the government and trade unions. However, business people have advised the government to think things deeply and not to take rush decisions, whose impact has not been sufficiently assessed.



    The two-year commemoration of the Colectiv fire


    On the 30th of October, Romania commemorated 2 years since a tragic fire broke out at the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest in which 64 people were killed and more than 100 injured. The Colectiv association formed in the wake of the fire staged a commemorative Guitar March and concerts. Several hundred people took part in the march, walking in silence and wearing white T-shirts printed with the photographs of the victims and carrying candles and flowers. Radio Romania broadcast a programme entitled “64 inspired by the tragedy at Colectiv and a commemoration event was held in Cluj Napoca, in the west, to protest against the delays in the trial. A court case began again the clubs owners, the former sector mayor and employees of the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations for failing to take measures despite the fact that the club did not have a fire safety authorisation. Quite a lot of voices claim little has changed in the two years since the tragic event. In their defense, the authorities say the number of fire safety permit requests has gone up by nearly 85%. We recall that the Colectiv nightclub tragedy was followed by wide street protests against the Government and local authorities, which led to the demise of Victor Pontas Cabinet.



    The crisis in Catalonia


    Romania has reasserted its firm support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Spain, refusing to acknowledge the unilateral declaration of independence of Catalonia. According to a Foreign Ministry release, Spain is an important ally and strategic partner of Romania and has good bilateral, regional and international relations with this country. The legitimacy of any process or action pertaining to the interior state of affairs of a country consists in its full conformity with the countrys Constitution and rule of law, the document also reads. In this context, Romania has argued in favour of observing international law, which forbids any territorial modifications without the consent of the state in question. The Ministry for Romanians Worldwide has also announced it was monitoring the developments in Catalonia very closely. According to a communiqué the Ministry released at the time the referendum on the regions independence was held, a task force monitoring the events has been in permanent contact with Romanian associations, parishes and diplomatic missions, in order to assess the real-time situation of the over 130,000 Romanians who live in Catalonia right now.



    FCSB advances to the Europa League round of 32


    Romanias vice champions FCSB have qualified to the round of last 32 in Europa League after drawing 1-all at home against Hapoel Beer Sheva of Israel in the fourth round of Group G. FCSB has 10 points and tops the league tables, followed by Viktoria Plezen of the Czech Republic with 6 points. The Czech team defeated Lugano of Switzerland 4-1 in Thursdays other group fixture. Hapoel and Lugano are 3rd and 4th respectively, both with 3 points. Romania will next play Viktoria Plezen away from home and needs a win to preserve the top spot in the group standings.

  • November 4, 2017

    November 4, 2017

    UNIONS – The “Solidaritatea Sanitara union federation announces its opposition to the Governments plan to transfer the payment of social security contributions from employers to employees, and says it will join the all-out strike planned by the countrys main union confederations. Previously, trade union federations Frăţia, Cartel Alfa and National Union Bloc had voiced fears that this transfer would entail a drop in salaries and the loss of jobs. In turn, employer associations say that should this measure be implemented, they will have to lay off employees, while the National Liberal Party in opposition announced it would notify the Constitutional Court unless the Government gave up these plans. President Klaus Iohannis described the Governments initiative as fiscal confusion through which average gross salaries would only go up by a rough 70 eurocents. In response, PM Mihai Tudose and his Social Democratic Party chief, Liviu Dragnea, say they do not understand the opposition to the measures announced for next year, given that in fact both employers and employees would stand to gain. The Cabinet postponed to Monday the meeting in which the new provisions were to be discussed, on grounds that some of the bills on the agenda had not received all the required approvals.




    BY-ELECTIONS – The town of Deva, in western Romania, as well as 16 villages in 12 counties are preparing for Sundays by-elections. 16 localities will elect their mayors tomorrow, and a village will elect its local council. In Deva, the mayor position has been vacant since the former mayor, Mircia Muntean, re-elected to office last summer, was sentenced to six months in prison for abuse of office and DUI.




    HEALTHCARE – The Romanian healthcare and tourism ministries will work together to come up with medical tourism packages. The announcement was made by the Healthcare Minister Florian Bodog at a medical tourism conference in Bucharest. The healthcare services in the highest demand from foreign patients in Romania are dental treatments, spa treatments, and plastic surgery, Bodog explained. He added that the Government is working to adopt the public-private partnership bill, which will allow foreign partners to invest in Romania, including in the healthcare sector. The Romanian official added that he had already received offers from foreign investors interested in setting up hospitals and cardiovascular surgery and recovery centres.




    CAMPAIGN – MEP Cătălin Ivan has announced he intends to start a signature campaign to ban bearer shares in Romania. Such shares, which are not registered, may be transferred from one holder to another without tax and accounting records. Ivan argues that this enables civil servants to own stock in companies that are awarded public procurement or service contracts, without any means of combating corruption. According to official data there are around 400 companies in Romania having issued bearer shares, and most of their have been awarded government contracts worth hundreds of millions of euros. Bearer shares have already been banned in countries like the UK, Belgium, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Malta and Cyprus.




    PUIGDEMONT – Belgian authorities announced having received the international arrest warrant issued by Spain against the ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and 4 members of his secessionist cabinet. The source added that prosecutors would study the documents before submitting them to a judge. The five Catalan ministers arrived in Brussels this week, after Spain issued an arrest warrant for sedition. Puigdemont insists that he is not in Belgium to escape justice, and that he is facing a potential 30-year prison sentence for keeping his promise to his voters. A Spanish court approved the arrest after the five failed to appear in court on Thursday to respond to accusations regarding the Catalan independence declaration. Before the arrest warrants were issued, the European Commission said the trial of the Catalan separatists was for the judiciary to settle.





    HANDBALL – The Romanian womens handball team CSM Bucharest is playing this afternoon at home against the Danish side Nykobing, in the 4th round of Champions League Group A. Two weeks ago, CSM lost surprisingly in Denmark, 22-25. In the first 2 games in Group A, the Romanians defeated Krim Ljubljana of Slovenia and Vistal Gdynia of Poland. The top 2 teams in each of the 4 groups will qualify into the main group stage. Romanias target in the current competition season is to reach the Champions League Final Four. Also today, in mens handball, Romanias champions Dinamo Bucharest play away from home against Ademar Leon of Spain. Dinamo ranks last in Group C, and is left with next to no chances to move on in the competition.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)